Outboard rotary sail



Oct. 19, 1965 s. w. WlGGlN OUTBOARD ROTARY SAIL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 25 1964 INVENTOR.

STANLEY w. WIGGIN BY ATTORNEY Oct. 19, 1965 s. w. WIGGIN 3,212,470

OUTBOARD ROTARY SAIL Filed July 23, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i ON INVENTOR- STANLEY W. WIGGIN WWW, mm

ATTOR NEY United States Patent 3,212,470 OUTBOARD ROTARY SAIL Stanley W. Wiggin, 74 Taylor St., Wollaston, Mass. Filed July 23, 1964, Ser. No. 384,700 8 Claims. (Cl. 115-3) This invention relates generally to propulsion devices for boa-ts and more particularly is directed towards a novel integrated wind turbine operated propeller drive unit for boats.

It has been proposed to rotate a boat propeller by drivingly connecting the propeller shaft to a rotary sail or wind turbine. The mechanisms heretofore employed for this purpose have not been satisfactory from the standpoint of cost, ease of installation and eliioiency of operation. Mechanisms for wind driven propellers until now have involved permanently installed operating equipment and relatively awkward and inefficient a-ir turbine mechanism.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide improvements in air turbine propulsion devices for boats.

Another object of this invention is to provide an outboard type of air turbine driven propeller apparatus for boats.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a simple, low cost, air turbine driven propeller device which may be quickly and easily assembled and disassembled.

At still further object of this invention is to provide air turbine driven propeller apparatus for a boat which apparatus requires no steering rudder.

More particularly, this invention features a drive systerm for a boat comprising a tubular support normally mounted upright in the boat and adapted to be manually rotated about its vertical axis for steering purposes. The tubular support carries at its lower end a propeller mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis and a propeller housing. The housing is rigidly fastened to the tubular support whereby the propeller axis may be turned through a horizontal plane by rotating the tubular support in a steering movement. A drive shaft is disposed concentrically and rotatable within the tubular support and is drivingly connected to the propeller at its lower end. The upper end of the drive shaft carries a wind turbine which is rotated by the wind whereby the drive shaft and propeller will also be rotated to propel the boat in the direction in which the propeller is steered.

This invention also features a wind turbine boat propulsion mechanism which may be readily disassembled for storage and shipment. As another feature of this invention the propeller housing may be rotated through a full 360 whereby the boat may be conveniently steered without the conventional rudder.

These and other features of the invention, along with further objects and advantages thereof, will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, with reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which;

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of an air turbine propulsion mechanism made according to the invention and shown mounted to a catamaran,

FIG. 2 is a view in side elevation of the boat and propulsion system of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a view in perspective partially exploded and broken away in parts showing the propeller drive and mounting bracket for the unit,

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the rotor arm assembly for the wind turbine,

FIG. 5 is a view in perspective of an individual wind 3,212,470 Patented Oct. 19, 1965 ice FIG. 6 is a view in perspective of a guy wire collar employed in the unit, and,

FIG. 7 is a top sectional view of the steering mechanism and mounting bracket.

Referring now to the drawings, the reference character 10 generally indicates a wind turbine propulsion unit mounted in outboard fashion to a boat 12. In the drawings, the unit 10 is shown mounted to a catamaran style boat by way of example and it will be understood that the unit may also be mounted to other types of boats as well.

The wind turbine propulsion unit 10 is generally organized about a tubular support 14 mounted upright to the boat 12 by means of a bracket 16 bolted to a thwartships member 18 joining the two hull sections of the catamaran. As best shown in FIG. 3, the bracket 18 includes a flat plate 20 to which is secured by welding or the like a channel member 22 adapted to accommodate a mounting block 24. The mounting block and the channel member are both drilled through with registered holes to receive threaded cross pins 26 secured by wing nuts 28. The mounting block 24 is formed with a vertical passage to rotatably accommodate the tubular support 14. It will be seen in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 7 that the tubular support 14 is provided with a collar 30 rigidly fixed thereto and having an integral boss 32 extending from one side thereof. The boss 32 is formed with a horizontal opening to slideably receive a steering bar 34 therethrough. The steering bar is provided with a handle 36 at each end whereby the boat may be steered by grasping either handle of the bar 34 and sliding it forwardly as far out as possible for maximum leverage. It will be understood that angular movement of the bar 34 will rotate the tubular support 14 about a vertical axis and, as will appear more fully below, this motion will steer the craft.

In addition to the bracket 16, the support tube 14, which may be seven feet or so in length, is also held in an upright condition by means of guy wires 38 attached at their lower ends to the boat hull and at their upper ends to a collar 40 slipped over the upper end of the tubular support 14 and resting against an annular shoulder 42 mounted fast to the tubular support. Turnbuckles 44 are provided for tightening the guy wires once the tubular support has been stepped into position. It will be understood that the collar 40 rotatably engages the tubular support 14 so that the support 14 may be rotated by the steering bar 34 without interference by the guy wires.

Secured to the lower end of the tubular support 14 is a gear housing 46 preferably having a streamlined tear-drop configuration. A propeller 48 is rotatably mounted to the housing and connected to a drive shaft 50 extending horizontally within the housing and supported at its ends by bearings 52 and 54. Keyed to the shaft 50 is a bevel gear 56 in mesh with another bevel gear 58 mounted fast on the lower end of a vertical rotor shaft 60.

The rotor shaft 60 extends up through the center of the tubular support 14 as best shown in FIG. 3. The shaft 60 is rotatably connected to the tubular support 14 by means of ball or roller bearing assemblies 62 and 64 disposed at the upper and lower ends respectively of the assembled shaft 60 and support 14. An oil seal 66 is provided at the lower end of the assembly between the gear housing 46 and the tubular support 14. Fastened to the upper end of the rotor shaft 60 is an annulus 68 having a generally conical configuration and resting against the upper bearing 62. The upper end of the rotor shaft is threaded to receive a nut 70 and an annular disc 72. Between the disc 72 and the annulus 68 a pair of crossed rotor arms 74 is mounted. Typically, the rotor arms are notched at their centers and drilled with an opening 76 to permit the arms to be slipped down over the upper end of the rotor shaft rudder is required to steer the boat.

60. Once in position, the nut 70 is tightened to secure the rotor arms rigidly to the rotor shaft.

Detachably mounted to the rotor arms is a relatively large wind cup 78 secured thereto by means of elongated bolts 80, one end of which passes through the center of the wind cup and the other end of which passes through the rotor arm 74 where it is secured by a wing nut 82.

In practice, for a 12 to 14 foot boat, each rotor arm section should be on the order of six feet or so in length and. wind cups should be approximately five feet in diameter. The overall height of the rotor shaft and gear Aluminum may be employed for the tubular support and the housings while steel or the like may be used for the gears and drive shafts.

It will be understood that when the wind cups catch a breeze from any direction, they will rotate the rotor shaft which in turn will spin thepropeller and thus propel the boat through the Water. The Wind cups constitute a wind turbine and it will be understood that the hemispherical or convex configuration of the wind cups permit them to be rotated in one direction only since the wind resistance on the convex side is less than on the concave side thereof.

With the boat underway, steering is accomplished by angular movement of the bar 34. It will be understood that since the propeller housing 46 is rigidly connected to i the tubular support 14, any angular movement of the bar 34- Will change the direction of the propeller so that no If it becomes necessary to reverse the movement of the boat, the propeller axis can be rotated 180 from the illustrated position so that the thrust of the propeller will cause the boat to move rearwardly. When the propeller housing is rotated beyond 90 either side of the centerline, the double ended steering bar 34 is slid through the boss 32 so that a long end of a bar is always towards the helmsman.

The entire unit has a minimum number of components and may be readily assembled or disassembled by merely detaching the wind cups from the rotor arms and the rotor I arms from the rotor shaft. The tubular support may then be quickly dismounted from the bracket 16 by merely removing the cross pins. The wind cups may be readily nested to provide a compact and conveniently portable stood that numerous modifications thereto will appear to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the above description and accompanying drawings should be taken as illustrative of the invention and not in a limiting sense.

detached from said system.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to obtain by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A drive system for a boat, comprising (a) a tubular support,

(b) means detachably mounting said support upright to said boat for selective rotation about a vertical axis,

(c) a drive shaft rotatably mounted concentrically within said support,

(d) a propeller mounted on the lower portion of said support for rotation about an axis generally perpendicular to said support and drivingly connected to the lower portion of said shaft,

(e) wind turbine means mounted on the upper portion of said shaft, and

(f) steering means connected to said support for rotating said support and the direction of said propeller with respect to said boat.

2. A drive system according to claim 1 wherein said wind turbine means include a plurality of rotor arms connected to said shaft and extending radially therefrom and a wind cup mounted on each of said arms, all of said cups facing in the same rotary direction.

3. A drive system according to claim 2 wherein said arms are detachably connected to said shaft and said cups are detachably mounted on said arms.

4. A drive system according to claim 1 wherein said steering means includes a bar mounted for axial sliding movement perpendicularly to said tubular support whereby either end of said bar may be used to steer said boat.

5. A drive system for a boat, comprising (a) a generally upright tubular support,

(b) means mounting said support for selective rotation about its vertical axis,

(c) a drive shaft rotatably mounted concentrically within said support,

((1) a propeller mounted on the lower portion of said support for rotation about an axis generally perpendicular to said support and drivingly connected to the lower end of said shaft,

(e) wind turbine means mounted on the upper portion of said shaft, and

(f) steering means connected to said support for rotating said support and thereby change the propeller direction with respect to said boat.

6. A drive system for a boat according to claim 5 wherein said propeller axis maybe rotated 360 by said steering means.

7. A drive system for a boat according to claim 5 including means for mounting dismounting said system as a unit from said boat.

8. A drive system for a boat according to claim 5 wherein said wind turbine means includes a plurality of rigid hemispherical cups of corresponding size detachably mounted and adapted to nest one Within the other when No references cited.

MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DRIVE SYSTEM FOR A BOAT, COMPRISING (A) A TUBULAR SUPPORT, (B) MEANS DETACHABLY MOUNTING SAID SUPPORT UPRIGHT TO SAID BOAT SELECTIVE ROTATION ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS, (C) A DRIVE SHAFT ROTATABLY MOUNTED CONCENTRICALLY WITHIN SAID SUPPORT, (D) A PROPELLER MOUNTED ON THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID SUPPORT FOR ROTATION ABOUT AN AXIS GENERALLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID SUPPORT AND DRIVINGLY CONNECTED TO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID SHAFT, (E) WIND TURBINE MEANS MOUNTED ON THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID SHAFT, AND (F) STEERING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID SUPPORT FOR ROTATING SAID SUPPORT AND THE DIRECTION OF SAID PROPELLER WITH RESPECT TO SAID BOAT. 